здорово

«здорово» is a Russian adverb or interjection commonly used to express approval or enthusiasm.

• Great! / Cool! / Awesome! — an enthusiastic reaction, such as to good news or a fun idea.
• It can also mean “well” or “in a healthy way” in other contexts, though that meaning is less common in casual speech.

Usage notes

In everyday conversation, «Здорово!» is a warm, informal way to say that something is excellent. Similar expressions include «класс!» (“cool!”), «супер!» (“super!”), «отлично!» (“excellent!”), and «круто!» (“awesome!”).

Examples

1. — Я сдал экзамен! — Здорово!
   “— I passed the exam! — Great!”

2. Здорово, что ты смог прийти.
   “It’s great that you were able to come.”

3. Мы здорово провели время на концерте.
   “We had an awesome time at the concert.”

4. Здорово выглядишь сегодня!
   “You look great today!”

5. — Поедем на море в выходные? — Здорово, давай!
   “— Shall we go to the sea this weekend? — Awesome, let’s do it!”

Background

The word is related to «здоровый» (“healthy”). Historically, its positive sense developed from the idea of being healthy, sound, or good. In modern Russian, it is especially common as an upbeat informal reaction.